(Photo by Tulip Naksompop Blauw)

 

OPINION

 

The answer will depend primarily on the COVID-19 numbers at Thailand’s popular island resort. But how the Prayut administration will look coming out of a potential Phuket nightmare will also have to do with competing political narratives, which are getting hotter and hotter on social media.

 

A “car mob” was organized a few days ago by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s opponents with an aim to portray the “Sandbox” agenda for Phuket as one of his biggest COVID-19 mistakes, adding to the vaccine management. The brief protest was not big enough to catch national attention and it upset local businesses that virtually involve all residents on the world-renowned island. Yet it became clear that Prayut’s enemies have been closely watching Phuket and will pounce at any major slip.

 

When things start to look bad for Phuket, the opponents’ narrative of “blinded and poorly-prepared policy which therefore is disastrous” will come up against the government’s argument that any protest gathering could “make things worse” or twist the knife in Thailand’s wound, and that helping struggling local economies was always what critics of the government always called for. The Prayut administration’s narrative can be effective to a certain extent, but a Phuket collapse will unlikely benefit the prime minister.

 

A complete list of every ASQ hotel in Bangkok

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/will-phuket-be-the-last-straw-that-breaks-camels-back/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-07-27

 

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There's nothing left to break. Get real.

That camel must be looking like one of those overloaded pickups by now 

30 year visas for a  million dollar investment will solve the problem-not!

The sandbox is doomed and was always doomed and so will be the 120 days promised by the PM that as a country we will be fully open to the world it ain’t going to happen How will the PM save face no doubt by blaming everyone else except himself Im waiting for October 2nd whilst the circus continues with all these clowns in power

Simply compare Singapore and Thailand's leadership team.

He will just blame the people for his mistakes. End of story

On 7/28/2021 at 9:20 AM, crazykopite said:

The sandbox is doomed and was always doomed and so will be the 120 days promised by the PM that as a country we will be fully open to the world it ain’t going to happen ....

Maybe not opened in 120 days , but IMHO why not keep the Sandbox open?  Keep it open. 

 

Phuket can be relatively isolated from the rest of the country IF it gets worse than the rest of the country on a per-capita basis. Even with 38-new cases in one day, Phuket still was one of the best provinces -ergo keeping Phuket open to International travelers is not risking the rest of the country.

 

Further, the new virus cases spreading in Phuket are mostly not believed to be from the International travelers (as those travelers are tested a LOT, while Phuket residents unfortunately have minimal tests ☹️  ). Rather the new cases are from residents ALREADY in Thailand.

 

Why close the Sandbox when the International visitors to the Sandbox are not bringing the virus?  The international travelers may stop coming on their own volition if and when Phuket puts in place a severe lockdown.  If so - then so be it.

 

Until then, and after then, let the Sandbox run.

 

Regardless, valuable statistics should (hopefully) be obtained on Phuket on how Sinovac and AstraZeneca (and if kept open how booster jabs of AstraZeneca or Pfizer) are all working.   ie  From a test perspective - the Sandbox is an excellent approach in these difficult times.  All IMHO of course.

The Phuket Sandbox will not be the straw that breaks the Camels back.

The Sandbox will be kept open at all costs. A loss of Face will never be an acceptable thing

When the Covid cases on the Island get worse, as they will, the" Tourists " will just simply stop coming once the initial stampede of Expats and Thais returning to Thailand has finished.

 

I doubt it. I somehow believe Thai government is very serious to make Phuket sandbox to last. My take is Thai government will do everything they can to make sure Phuket is open. With more and more countries are opening, like Canada recently announced, and UK cancel the quarantine requirement for some, Thailand will change legislation if necessary, but an open Phuket is the absolutely minimum Thai government wants to maintain.